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Cost model: Converting office buildings to hotel use
London’s thriving tourism market, combined with deteriorating office stocks and a focus on reuse, is driving office-to-hotel conversions – here’s look at the drivers and risks
Inside Hornsey Town Hall: a brilliantly conceived and highly sensitive – if mildly eccentric – restoration
Residents of Crouch End in north London have had a long and sometimes fraught wait for Reginald Uren’s 1935 former council HQ to reopen, but they now once again have a building to enjoy and cherish
Miliband’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan arrives with the public and industry’s confidence in retrofit at a low ebb
The embarrassing failures of the ECO scheme have given retrofit a bad name, but its cancellation hit good and bad installers alike. Together, they put the government in a tricky spot to effect a mass roll-out of new energy efficiency measures, reports Daniel Gayne
The regeneration rethink: funding, power and the local leaders shaping what comes next
For over a decade, built environment policy has prioritised new build over regenerating places. As Building launches its new Regen Connect editorial campaign, Joey Gardiner finds out why that might all be about to change
‘We need more self belief’… Chris Ball of AtkinsRéalis explains how the industry can deliver the UK’s infrastructure ambitions
As the government’s 10-year strategy begins to unfold, the president of the UK and Ireland business of the UK’s largest construction consultant tells Tom Lowe what the sector needs to do to avoid some of the mistakes of the past
Areas for growth and recovery: Why architects are feeling more positive this year
The latest survey of top architecture firms for Building’s sister title Building Design shows a global uplift in sentiment, with the Middle East leading the way and cautious optimism on India, writes David Blackman
Jewry Wall Museum, Leicester: A case study in sensitive adaptation of post‑war public architecture
A careful, minimal retrofit by Levitate transforms Dannatt’s 1959 Vaughan College into a modern museum while preserving its mild brutalist character. Owen Hatherley reports
Could 2026 be the start of a new stone age?
Structural engineer Webb Yates has completed its first structural stone building for a commercial developer. Thomas Lane reports on the firm’s 20-year mission to establish stone as a sustainable alternative to concrete
‘The cliff edge has probably been reached’ … When the Warm Homes Plan finally arrives, will there be an industry left to deliver it?
Reports suggest the upcoming plan will see a big move towards low carbon technologies and shift in emphasis from grant to regulation. But industry figures say its long delay and the cancellation of the ECO scheme last year could leave DESNZ without the workforce to deliver its goals
Scott Brownrigg’s Darren Comber: ‘The UK has done nothing to support us’
The practice’s chief executive talks to Tom Lowe about the government’s decision on a third Heathrow runway, the impact of Rachel Reeves’ tax policies on business and how the practice has managed to survive for a remarkable 115 years
‘It’s reassuring that development is cyclical’… Following the 12-year regeneration journey at Elephant Park
As Lendlease’s huge project at Elephant & Castle finally approaches completion, Daniel Gayne spoke to the team behind the scheme to find out how it has changed over more than a decade of work
Birdcage of Paradise: Inside Three Chamberlain Square in Birmingham
FCBStudios’ latest addition to the city’s Paradise masterplan pairs bold terracotta detailing with net-zero credentials, creating a vibrant workplace beside the city’s historic Town Hall
Market forecast: Strong order books drive tender inflation as smaller firms struggle
Amid economic uncertainty, UK construction showed resilience in 2025. While overall sentiment suggests a slowdown, data indicates output grew faster than services or manufacturing
What slow progress at Tempsford says about the wider new towns programme
Despite the suitable location of the Bedfordshire site as a place for tens of thousands of new homes, the government has yet to formally declare its backing for the project. Joey Gardiner asks why so many questions remain unresolved about the plan for a new town in the area 18 ...
Hopes and fears for 2026 - let’s build on what we achieved last year
A range of industry experts consider what was good – and bad – about 2025 and share their thoughts about the 12 months ahead
Best of 2025: Our biggest stories about construction projects, people and issues
Here is a reminder of some of the features that stood out for our readers
What the latest documents tell us about the government’s progress on building safety
A flurry of progress reports, consultation documents, reviews and statements were put out by the government last week. Building unpacks what has been achieved in responding to the Grenfell Inquiry’s recommendations and what is to come
Will there be an exodus from the ARB register next month after Chris Williamson’s decision not to renew?
The RIBA president’s decision to abandon his architect title in a statement against the ‘absurdity’ of the registration system has heightened debate around what the term really means, and how regulatory oversight of the architectural profession can be reformed
Could York Central be the model that solves the housing viability problem?
Work has started preparing ground for York Central, a 45-hectare development next to York station that will deliver up to 3,000 homes and 1.4m sq ft of commercial space through a public-private partnership
Top 150 Contractors & Housebuilders 2025: Delving into the detail
Beneath the headline rankings of the top 150 contracting and housebuilding firms in the sector, there are more complex stories to tell based on turnover, profit and margins. Here Carl Brown unpacks the figures in more detail
Top 50 Housebuilders: searching for signs of hope
With hopes of a rapid return to growth dashed, which firms have managed to navigate choppy waters successfully? And do the seas look calmer ahead?
Top 150 Contractors & Housebuilders 2025: Can we please get on and build?
Jobs are still being stalled by planning red tape, legislation and funding issues. A ho-hum Budget hasn’t helped contractors’ mood either but at least some are trying to look on the bright side, writes Dave Rogers, ahead of Building’s Top 150 Contractors & Housebuilders list released tomorrow.
Frank Gehry: from LA experimentalist to the architect of the Bilbao effect
Ben Flatman examines how Gehry’s work evolved from local, materially driven invention into one of the most recognisable architectural vocabularies of his generation
Sustainability: Decarbonising schools across the four UK nations
Governments are targeting individual sustainability and decarbonisation goals for schools across the UK, driving innovative approaches to building and retrofitting
Dulwich College by alma-nac: a new lower school library and the refurbishment of its emblematic Charles Barry block
Designed to LETI Net Zero Carbon standards, the Raymond Chandler Library is refining its energy performance after a year in use, while the team also restores the school’s central Charles Barry building, Sarah Simpkin reports
‘They’re a demanding group of people’… Keeping the scientists happy at the University of Cambridge’s new Ray Dolby Centre
Architects Jestico + Whiles were challenged to make the Cavendish Laboratory’s science accessible to the public while meeting the demands of its top researchers. Daniel Gayne visited to see how they did it
Oxford opens its doors… The Stephen A Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, by Hopkins Architects
Ben Flatman explores how Hopkins Architects’ Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities embodies a shift in Oxford’s academic culture
Backstage at The Old Vic: New extension offers contemporary counterpoint to a Georgian icon
Within a slender 10m slot on Waterloo Road, Haworth Tompkins has delivered a £13.7m extension that redefines The Old Vic theatre’s relationship with its city, Josh Fenton writes
Is the Building Safety Regulator’s plan to tackle the backlog likely to succeed?
With construction of tens of thousands of homes held up waiting for approval by the new regulator for high rise homes, Joey Gardiner assesses whether the plan by its new management will turn things around
Open Doors: Construction students visit Willmott Dixon’s canalside university development
Building was invited to attend Build UK’s Open Doors Preview event aimed at inspiring younger generations to pursue a career in construction by showcasing the progress being made at Queen Mary University of London’s East End campus
‘We’ll get our fair share…’ The Wates pair hatching a plan to create a £250m fit-out business
Lee Phillips and Steff Battle on picking up the pieces after ISG’s fall and why the new business can disrupt the industry in the right way. They speak to Dave Rogers
Designed to change the world: Inside Oxford University’s new £200m Life and Mind Building
This research facility brings together experimental psychology and biology departments to address challenges including climate change, mental health, food security and AI. Thomas Lane reports
Come with me to Clamart: a postcard from a Parisian regenerative development that really works
British regeneration schemes could learn a lot from the Clamart Panorama brownfield development near Paris, says Nicholas Boys Smith – above all the humility to ask people what they really like
Productivity: How digital tools are making construction projects better
As change accelerates, advancements in digital tools happen in months not years – bringing a greater need for accessible and actionable data to navigate the market. Turner & Townsend Alinea, Digital Trees, Mace and Visibuild explore the impact of digital tools on construction projects
Infrastructure update: Strategies to boost resilience in face of climate change
Keeping systems up and running will become more important as the world becomes a riskier place. What strategies are UK infrastructure owners adopting? Simon Rawlinson of Arcadis takes a look
Chris Williamson: ‘Architects are burying their heads in the sand on AI’
RIBA’s president on the threat AI poses to the architecture profession, his plans for increasing architects’ pay and his award-winning stage play
Will the expected London housebuilding package rescue the stalled development industry?
With one in six housing schemes in the capital on hold and demand at rock bottom, Joey Gardiner asks whether simply reducing expectations for affordable housing will be enough to get construction going again
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5 minutes with … Adina Poncis at Durkan
The firm’s head of digital delivery has more than 18 years’ experience in architecture, engineering and construction. She would be happy to tell you the weekend’s sports scores… before they happen
5 minutes with … Dean Mitchell at 4B Projects
One of the firm’s four founding brothers describes working on the Spurs stadium as an Arsenal fan, keeping the Saudi royal family happy, the importance of asking questions and talent spotting potential Ireland rugby players in north Londonx
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